


Conversations on a Ski Lift

by killaren



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Cabin Fic, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Hogwarts Eighth Year, I've been thinking about going skiing all winter basically, Light Angst, Redeemed Draco Malfoy, Skiing, Smut, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Voldemort is dead, Winter, a little luna lovegood/theodore nott, but then it's resolved, dramoine - Freeform, no beta we die like men, ski fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 10:01:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29774487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/killaren/pseuds/killaren
Summary: "Go ahead, Malfoy, call me a swot again." She couldn't help herself and she smirked. He chuckled, low and deep. In a blink his eyes changed from a snowy tone to thunderstorm gray, the color so dark and tumultuous that she almost thought she saw lightning flash within them."Oh, trust me love," He drawled and he grabbed her jaw tightly, tilting her face up to his with his palm. Everywhere their skin connected electrified her; she could feel the sparks flying from his hands and rattling her bones. A tiny breath passed involuntarily between her lips, for the look in his eyes was the same one a snake has right before it sinks its fangs into a mouse."there are much worse things I've been dying to call you."8th year AU. Cabin Fic/Ski fic
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 4
Kudos: 42





	1. Day One

**Author's Note:**

> Hiiiiiiii welcome to my first dramione fic :) I've been obsessed with these two for ages and I haven't had time to write in literal years so now that I do I've decided to take a crack at this pairing. This shouldn't be a particularly long fic and I intend for this to be a fun read. Let me know what you think :)
> 
> disclaimer: I do not own anything in the harry potter universe or any of the characters depicted in this story.

A cold winter wind whipped across the windows of the unusually busy Hogwarts Express, the nearly aged-out students who occupied it milling to and from the train and the platform all while paying no mind to the January chill. There were more pressing matters to preoccupy their thoughts; which house would get the nicest view of the lake, who might be sharing a room with who, where _exactly_ in the Scottish Highlands they might be going, and of course who was the best at snow sports. Hermione Granger sat against a window and aimed to drown out the chatter that filled the train car by reading over her advanced potion texts. She got away with it for only a moment before Harry Potter landed on the seat cushion across from her and announced himself with a joyous yell. She had only a millisecond to bookmark her page when a set of hands snatched the book from her hands, pretending to thumb through the pages. Ron Weasley snickered as he feigned interest in her in-text annotations. His voice took a piercing falsetto as he intentionally mispronounced various sentences while Hermione reached up in a futile attempt to grab the book from his hands.

“Something tells me you two made one too many stops at the trolley before you found me.” she said as she settled back into her seat,.

“And something tells _me_ you need to mind your own business.” Harry replied as he unwrapped a chocolate frog and popped it into his mouth.

“Hermione, you can’t spend another out-of-castle trip reading things you can read in the castle. Especially not _Advanced Potioneering for Healers."_ Ron said and she rolled her eyes. “Why did you even bring this?”

“Well, on the chance that snow sports don’t work out for me, I wanted to be prepared.” She replied, tilting her chin up slightly.

“Oh come off that, you’ll be fine! Wizard skiing isn’t all that bad once you get the hang of it. Besides, you can always use a sticking charm your skates.”

“Absolutely not. That’s basically cheating.”

“Oh yeah? I can’t wait to read Skeeter’s take: ‘brightest witch of her age now as dull as the blades of her skis’” Harry added with a laugh. Hermione rolled her eyes and looked out the window onto the platform, where the last of the 8th years were seen filing into the train. She watched a set of gray eyes slip into the back of the line.

She’d hardly expected Draco Malfoy to be interested in a school trip, even if his friends were going as well. She hadn’t expected him to do much more with his 8th year than to complete his studies and disappear into the shadows...after all, it wasn’t like being an ex-death eater did much for his social status. She thought briefly back to his trial and how those eyes never left her as she testified enough information to get him off with only academic requirements as punishment for his wrongdoings during the war. A brief shiver ran up her spine and she shook it out through her neck, attempting to get the memory of his degraded form out of her mind.

When the last of the 7th and 8th year students had loaded onto the train and everyone had seen their friends, purchased sweets from the trolley and taken their seats, the Hogwarts Express finally lurched forward and announced its departure with a loud horn. Luna Lovegood had joined their cabin with Seamus Finnigan and Katie Bell in tow. They chatted amongst themselves while the boys discussed who was the most likely of the three to shag on the slopes and get away with it.

———

The train arrived at Grindelwald station and the students poured out, marveling at the beauty of the Swiss mountain range. At the base of the mountain, the stone walls seemed to stretch up for miles. The afternoon sun bounced off of the snowy white peaks and engulfed the little wooden town in a breathtaking pearly hue. Hermione felt a pang of nerves as she watched a few dark spots she internally identified as skiers making their way down a mountainside far off in the distance. She brushed her nerves aside as Harry tugged her in the direction of the carriages and they made their way to the cabins.

The Gryffindor cabin was beautiful; two magnificent wooden doors opened up to a foyer with high, barn-style ceilings and two staircases trailing up the sides of the room. A fireplace could be seen against the wall past the staircases and several thick leather chairs were situated around it, and the back windows overlooked the lake. Hermione and Katie dashed up the wide stairs and through the halls with the others in an attempt to secure the best rooms. The two managed to avoid being stuck with bunk beds and found a smaller room with two big windows that overlooked the fire pits in the center of the four cabins. Students were gathering outside of Hufflepuff to make their way into the little town, so the girls dropped their things on their beds and made haste to the exit.

———

The little town was already busy with students by the time Hermione and Katie arrived. It didn’t take long for them to figure out where in town the boys might be; the large silver bucket of fizzing whizbees in the front window of the local Honeydukes was nearly visible from the mountain top.

Hermione browsed through the stacks impatiently, grabbing a few red sugar quills as she waited for her friends to finish filling their candy barrels with teeth-rotting treats. She was anxious to check out the rest of town, for she was nearly certain that Grindelwald was where the original Capitol Bookstore was founded. She suspected she’d be able to find some extended versions of the ancient runes texts she’d been pouring through in her free moments, and Seamus’ inability to decide if he wanted pistachio or peppermint flavored creams was cutting into her time to explore what the store had to offer.

After listening to several exhausting discussions about every-flavour beans that had dragged on way longer than they needed to, she was at her breaking point. Schooling her facial expression best she could, she insisted that she had to go ahead to seek out the shop and feigned worries about it closing early as a means for her haste. Her friends bid her a distracted farewell and she didn’t bother to try and locate Katie before making her exit.

She stepped out of the candy shop relief began to wash over her. She took a moment to look about the town as a slow wind carried a few tiny flecks of snow through the air. Snowflakes dusted her cheeks and she let out a cold, happy breath while she appreciated the frost-covered lanterns that lined the streets and the twinkling lights that enchanted the trees.

She breezed quickly past a hairdresser, a robes boutique and a general store, scanning the signs ahead of her. She nearly missed the little brown door with a gold sign that was wedged between a tiny two-table cafe and a ski supplies shop. The sign against the door had “capitol - through the corridor” engraved in the metal and Hermione grinned as she swung the door open.

The bookstore wasn’t immediately visible; as instructed by the sign, she traveled down the small, winding and dimly-lit hallway until the soft acoustic music that floated through the air got louder and the smell of age-old paper got stronger. Stepping through the entryway and taking in the rows of bookshelves wedged into the low-ceiling space truly revived her in a way that little else could. She picked up an enchanted basket and a golden shimmer overtook it when her fingers touched the handle. She took to her thoughts and envisioned the book on dragon egg discoveries that she’d been searching for for weeks. A few moments later, a pair of golden footsteps appeared on the floor in front of her and began creating a path through the shop. She followed them tentatively, taking regular glances around as she weaved through the shelves. They concluded in the magical creatures section, where only a moment of scanning led her to finding the text she was looking for.

She did this again with an advanced herbology book, some muggle literature, and finally with the ancient runes text that had sent her to the store in the first place. She was thrilled the moment the charmed basket glowed and eagerly followed it to the back corner of the store. Leaning in close to the shelves to inspect the words printed on each of the spines of the books, she could practically feel her magic coming alive. She tugged a copy of one book out, skimmed the prologue, and shoved it back. This motion happened a few more times and with such focus that she didn’t immediately notice the body that had taken rest in front of the shelf next to hers. It took two more cover inspections before she flinched at the recognition of the signet ring-clad hand that had reached for a book in her peripheral view. She spun around and nearly dropped her basket, her eyes landing on the profile of Draco Malfoy and her legs instinctively taking a step back. His arm was outstretched and he was still looking at the book spine he had reached for, but his lips held a small smirk. He turned his head slowly and his gray eyes met hers, an unreadable twinkle in them.

“Oi, surely I can’t be _that_ frightening.” He drawled, his smirk growing slightly as her cheeks flushed.

“Malfoy.” She stated, her surprise evident in her voice.

“Granger.”

“What are you doing here?”

He raised his eyebrows and gestured towards the shelf in front of him in reply. Her eyes flicked to the gold title plate on the top of the wood that read, “Potioneering” and she fought back the urge to smack herself. _Of course_ , she thought. _Potions, Malfoy was always good at that. He was always quite bright, of course he reads. He’s allowed to be in book shops._

She felt herself turn a darker shade of red and his chuckle confirmed it.

“Don’t trouble yourself over it, Granger. I’m just looking for something.” He said as his eyes returned to the books.

“Looking for something, right over here, next to where I’ve been standing for the last 10 minutes?” She chirped and he looked back at her. His eyes scanned her for a second before he took a step towards her and feigned interest in a book on another shelf.

“Careful now, it sounds like you’re implying I’m up to something. What do you think that something might be?”

“It just seems rather suspicious, is all.” Her words didn’t come out with the ferocity and sureness she had meant to project. His smirk grew and he leaned closer to her. He stood at his full height, entering her personal space. He’d gotten a lot taller over the years, and now he towered over her in a way that he never could when he was 12.

“The war is over, Granger. You really need to relax a bit,” He started, his head bending down slightly as he neared her. His voice lowered and she could feel his hot breath graze her ear.

“-I don’t bite…at least, not in here.” He finished and in one motion he pulled the book he was looking for from the shelf and strode out of the nook, his dragon leather boots making soft _clinks_ against the hardwood floors as he walked.

She released the breath she’d been holding and leaned her head against the wooden shelf, shutting her eyes for a moment. _What a…_ bizarre _encounter,_ she thought to herself. She was certain he’d never gotten that close to her in her entire life. _He didn’t call me any names, there weren’t any direct insults…he seemed to be joking perhaps? Did he find my apprehension around him funny? Had he forgotten the last 7 years of his life? Or what his family did to me in-_ She was starting to fire herself up. She took another deep breath, tucked his last _odd_ little comment somewhere in the back of her mind, and reminded herself that she shouldn’t expect anything less but agitation from Draco Malfoy.


	2. Day Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting chapter two now since chapter one was a bit slow! halfway through chapter 4 at the moment!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own none of the harry potter franchise or its characters.

_This could NOT be happening._

She winced again as she read over the parchment for a second time. A third look, and she hoped that the magic had just been playing games on her. To her dismay, there it was, written next to her name in dark ink. She shuddered.

At first, Hermione had been rather excited about the prospect of being partnered up with another student for the trip. From McGonnagall’s perspective, it was the perfect way to facilitate inter-house bonding. Since the aftershocks of the war had put Slytherins in a less-than-stellar light in social circles and had killed off nearly half of the Gryffindor class, it seemed like a great way to unite the older students. Even if she had taken a moment to consider who she might have been paired with, this outcome still hadn’t come to mind.

A fourth look at the paper and she growled, stomping angrily back to her friends. A few light jabs at her from the boys later, and the reality of what the next several days would mean for her started to set in.

She would have to spend all day with him.

Every day. Ron and Harry had gotten lucky and had been paired with a couple of Hufflepuff girls who seemed to know each other and Seamus had another Gryffindor she didn’t recognize. Only Luna seemed to be in the a similar boat as her own with Theo Nott as her companion. Luna did not seem to be too bothered by this, though she could not recall a time Luna had seemed bothered by anything.

She watched Draco Malfoy exit the Slytherin cabins flanked by Theo and wearing a scowl. Theo stepped away to speak with Blaise as Malfoy approached the parchment posted in the center of the courtyard and she studied his face has his eyes roved the page. She saw his finger stop moving where their names were listed, and his scowl slowly curled into his signature smirk. He stepped back from the paper and his head turned towards the mob of Gryffindors sitting outside their cabin. His eyes landed on hers and he winked before he turned and stalked back to where his friends had taken a seat. Her blood nearly boiled.

———

She could barely focus when McGonnagall explained the rules for free-reign of the slopes, wasn’t thinking clearly on the short walk through the trees from the cabins to the ski lodge, and nearly missed her turn to speak to the rental counter about getting equipment to use. She was avoiding finding him, and she knew that if she was going to survive the next few days, she would have to suck it up. Channeling every ounce of Gryffindor courage she had, she scooped up her boots, skis and poles, and trudged outside to the benches she knew he’d be sitting at. He was alone, clipping his boots into place with his wand.

Much like the rest of his wardrobe, his equipment was jet black and looked expensive. _Should’ve expected he’d have his own set of skis_. As she approached she noticed they had a silvery white dragon design etched into them, the wings and tail of the creature wrapping across the edges of the thin twin blades. He was in his ski pants and a tight black long sleeve base layer, and Hermione caught herself staring at the way the fabric fit around his broad shoulders like it was made for them. Perhaps it was.

She shook herself out of her strange reverie in time for him to notice her presence. She sat down at the bench across from him to put on her boots and he leaned back in his seat, stretching his long legs out and folding his arms behind his head. He had that stupid smirk plastered on his face again and Hermione suddenly felt the urge to slap him.

“You did this.” She said and he chuckled, shaking his head. “You did!”

“And what exactly did I do?” he drawled in response.

“You set this-“ she started, gesturing between the two of them. “-us, up. You set us up together.”

“ _Set us up_? What, is this a date to you, Granger?” she crimsoned and narrowed her eyes at him, his cheekiness making her ski crawl.

“Oh bugger off, Malfoy.”

He snickered again and went back to casting charms on his bootstraps. She watched him intently as he finished up, each tap of his wand tightening the clasp slightly until it was to his liking. She turned back to her boots and attempted a similar motion with her own straps, her anger flaring momentarily when his trick worked perfectly.

He stood up and shrugged his snow coat on, his gloves following.

“I’ll be over by the lifts, whenever you’re ready.” He announced.

“And what if I don’t come and find you when I’m done? How would _that_ work with your little plan?”

“I guess I’ll be standing there all day then.” He replied and turned to meet up with his friends.

When she finally finished getting her boots, coat, hat, scarf and mittens on, she rose from the bench and nearly fell on her face. She hadn’t anticipated having this much difficulty walking in all of her gear, but she cast a leveling charm on her feet nonetheless. The trek to the end of the deck where the wooden floors met the snow was full of apprehension; reading books about how to ski was much different than doing it yourself. Her feet rested at the edge of the platform and she looked around, resting her bodyweight on her skis. Malfoy was nearby, and when he spotted her he bid his friends farewell and started making his way in her direction. This only made her more tense.

“You look ready to go, is that a fair assumption?” He asked and she nodded in reply.

“Great, let’s warm up then. I haven’t been on the snow since last winter.”

“Wait!…I think Luna and Theo are paired up together. It might not be a bad idea to find them?” she said quickly.

“Sure. I haven’t seen Theo since we got to the lodge though, so I’d imagine he’s already gotten a few laps on us. Come on, we’ll find them at the top eventually.” He shrugged and pushed off.

The motions she made after felt mechanical; placing the skis on the ground, her boots clicking into them with a quick cast of her wand, using her poles to push herself forward, the feeling of the ice slipping by under her feet. _Just like the guide says_ , she thought to herself.

She followed tentatively behind Malfoy, still getting her bearings. They got into a line for the smallest lift and her eyes followed the pace of a few experienced skiers as they carved down one of the steeper mountains to their right. The hill bent and curved as they moved, adjusting itself to each wizard’s movements, almost attempting to throw them off. A hand tapped her forearm and she would’ve gained altitude from her shock had her feet not been weighed down by her boots. Malfoy gestured towards the lift — they were next in line. She shuddered as she accepted that they would have to sit together on the seat and pushed herself forward, letting the enchanted chariot scoop them both up. The seat few through the air with such a speed that if it weren’t for the warmth of his body next to her, she was certain she would catch a cold. _At least sitting this close to him is good for something_.

“You’re studying. I can tell.” Malfoy said, breaking the silence that had taken over. She had been so engrossed in watching the people on the slope below them that she hadn’t realized he was watching her. She gave him an inquisitive look.

“You have a look about you when you’re trying to understand something. Your brows furrow and you get this hardness in your eyes.” He continued, turning his gaze to the chair in front of them. Her eyes widened and if he hadn’t just pointed it out, she wouldn’t have noticed her brows begin to pull together as she analyzed his words.

“You must pay an awful lot of attention to me, if you’re able to pick up on something like that.” She chirped, a miniature smirk of her own threatening to invade her lips. The corner of his mouth rose.

“I’m second in our class only to you, I’ve spent years trying to ‘pick up’ on things.”

Before she had time to consider what he’d said, the chair had reached the top of the small hill and slowed to let them exit. She weaved through the people who rested at the landing, nearly ran into a snowboarder sitting on the ground, and came to a stop next to Malfoy. She looked around and then down the mountain and silently wished she had insisted on finding their friends before heading onto the lift.

“Ready?” He asked and she watched as the enchanted snow curve upwards slightly in front of her skis, as if the slope knew she was hesitant. Looking back up at him was a mistake; his eyes were wide and a grin was plastered on his face as realization set into his features. Had it not been at her expense, the expression would’ve looked rather nice on him.

“Are you scared, Granger?” He said and attempted to stifle a laugh. She glared at him.

“No! I am just being cautious.”

“I can’t believe this! The Golden Girl, Gryffindor Princess, heroine of the Order, scared of a bunny hill. Someone call the prophet. Have you ever skied before, Granger? Any at all?” He teased her with practiced ease. She turned away from him so he wouldn’t see her embarrassment. _I am NOT scared_ , she thought to herself. _Just apprehensive…and even THAT is none of his business_. This is exactly what she had been so worried about the whole morning, really; it wasn’t so much that she had never been skiing, it was that her first experience would be tainted with Malfoy making her feel inferior to him the whole time.

“You’re a right fowl git, Malfoy.” She snapped.

“Okay okay, let’s think about this for a second. You have to have read some books or something about skiing, right?” He said levelly, stopping her anti-Malfoy train of thought.

“I may have,” She said slowly, eyeing him.

“so then I’m sure you know you can get the hang of this easily. There’s not much to worry about.” He continued, moving his skis around so he was standing directly next to her.

“You want to make sure your shoulders are always facing downhill, balance your weight underneath them. Keeping your knees bent helps with this.” He gestured towards his shoulders, then made a line to his hips, indicating a correct stance. Her brow furrowed.

“The turning happens in the lower half of your body by balancing your weight back and forth on each of the skis in the opposite direction you want to turn. If you get scared or lose control, you can always cast a charm or turn your tips towards each other to slow down.” He demonstrated with his skis.

“I’ll follow behind you in case something happens. Sound good?” He finished, his facial expression impassive. She looked into his gray eyes, searching for _something_.

“Why are you helping me with this?” She asked. Malfoy did nothing without personal motive.

“Because we’re stuck together, and I want to get to the top of that mountain by the end of the week” he replied and pointed his pole at the highest peak, his smirk returning when she squeaked at the sight.

"Come on, go ahead. I'll be right back here." His tone was gentler than she'd ever heard it and she shivered as her mind registered it.

She looked back down at her skis for a moment, then pushed off hesitantly. The ground beneath her curved downward slightly and she felt her speed increase a fraction. She bent her knees and maintained her balance the way he'd instructed and she felt the snow open up again in front of her, a small breeze passing across her cheeks as she her skis glided along the white surface. The feeling was pleasant; like flying on a broom, but much more controlled. She turned her head back for a moment to find Malfoy was still behind her, a few paces back and traveling slowly as promised. She adjusted her skis, leaning her weight to the side through her hips, and she felt her body turn. The snow dipped slightly then leveled, causing her to swoop forward and gather a short burst of speed. She yelped briefly and flexed her hips to the right, her body coming to an abrupt halt on the slope. A moment later, Malfoy came skating up next to her.

"That stop was excellent. How do you feel?" He asked casually and she wondered if he realized he'd just directly complimented her. She chose not to address it and tried to ignore the rush she inadvertently felt to his praise.

"That wasn't too bad. I think I should keep going." She said and he nodded, gesturing for her to continue.

This process repeated itself several times as they made their way down the mountain; she would slide back and forth a few times before the mountain challenged her and she stopped to regain her bearings. He'd stop next to her and occasionally offer a tip, but otherwise followed behind her at a distance.

As she slid towards the end of the trail, she felt much more in control of her skis. The snow had recognized that her body relaxed and started to throw her larger dips and curves her way. In her eagerness to excel she took them on enthusiastically, cresting over a hill that spawned in front of her with ease. Malfoy pulled up next to her a moment later.

“You seem more confident.” He stated, scanning the area. Accepting it for the compliment that it wasn’t, she smiled and nodded enthusiastically, her chin in the air.

“Good, then. Let’s go on to the next trail.” He replied and raised and eyebrow at her when her eyes widened in response.

“Relax, it’s the same difficulty as the first one. It’s just a longer ride to the bottom. Come on.”

——

“So…not even Muggle Skiing, then?” Malfoy’s voice broke the thick silence that had cloaked the two of them shortly after they boarded the chariot. She eyed him with caution. She was nearly certain the question was an attempt to make small talk, but…why? Perhaps the circumstance would call for it, if they were not who they were. As if he hadn’t spent the last 7 years of their lives either making her life hell or fighting alongside someone who was trying to send her there. As if they hadn’t been enemies the moment he realized she was muggle-born. It was more than likely that he was just trying to make the best of their proximity…but then again, his teasing had lacked the malice that it usually held…

She realized she had been staring too long without a reply when his eyes squinted at her.

“No,” she blurted out, schooling her looks best she could to those of a casual nature.

“My parents weren’t keen on it, and it’s a rather expensive hobby to try at alone." She continued.

"What's the difference? Between the two."

"From what I know of it, Muggle Skiing is rather similar to Wizard Skiing…perhaps a bit less dangerous, since the slope doesn't change shapes."

"That's a pity. The danger is half the fun." She rolled her eyes and continued.

"You also aren’t charming your boots to your skis. They have to be clicked into the ski bindings and they can fly off easily, so if you fall it's a whole process to get them back on. Snowboard bindings stay clipped in if you fall, but the rider has to bind and unbind their boot to their board every time they get on or off a lift. Then there’s the fact that the lifts aren’t enchanted, and you can’t just get in any lift to go to whatever mountaintop you choose.”

“I only needed the summary, Granger. Not the whole book.”He quipped and her eyes narrowed. He looked amused by her expression.

"Why did you even ask, if you were just going to be like this?" She asked and he shrugged.

“I suppose I didn’t realize you’re still as swotty as you were in third year.” He answered and she scowled as he adjusted his poles and prepared his dismount from the chair.

———

At the top of each slope he asked her how she was feeling, if she wanted him to follow behind her again, and offered another tip. With every descent she felt more at ease, and she realized that she found a strange comfort in his presence behind her. He was being very attentive to her and it was _unusual_ but no longer unwelcome. She couldn’t deny he was proving himself useful, even if she would never admit it out loud.

As noon approached, they made their way back to the ski lodge where groups of students were entering the food hall. The moment she set foot in the space her eyes and landed on Harry and Ron, she darted away from Malfoy and back to emotional safety. With her back turned as she fled, she didn’t notice his eyes lingering on her retreating figure.

Katie and Seamus joined the Gryffindor group soon after Hermione had sat down at the little wood table that her two friends occupied. Luna came a few minutes later and sported a happy grin. She held everyone’s attention as she recounted her morning with Theo; apparently they had really hit it off. They both were snowboarders (an uncommon choice amongst wizards), shared similar taste in music and both hated pumpkin juice. That final fact seemed to be what really sold Luna on him. Hermione was admittedly a bit jealous that Luna had been paired with someone so compatible with her; she knew it was simply coincidence, but of course of all people, she would be the one stuck with Malfoy.

As if reading her mind, Ron turned to her, eyes alight with upcoming mischief.

“Well Luna, that’s just great news.” He started, his eyes narrowed and glued to Hermione as if she was the one who had just spoken. Harry followed Ron’s line of sight and he grinned to himself.

“Yeah, who knew Slytherins could be so sociable? Don’t you agree, ‘Mione?” Harry continued for Ron and she rolled her eyes.

“come off it, Harry.” She growled, her eyes narrowing at the pair.

“Oh, that bad? I’m in shock. I figured you and Malfoy would be best mates in no time!” Ron chirped.

“Sure, if ‘best mates’ now means being an absolute arse every moment he gets alone with me.”

“Has he said anything to you about your blood status?”Katie asked. Hermione looked down at the fish on her plate in front of her and began to cut it absentmindedly.

“No, and I don’t know that he will.” she replied.

“I wouldn’t put it past a bloody pureblood wanker like him. I don’t trust him. I bet you he still thinks like that.” The second Ron’s words left his mouth, the sound of metal clattering on china rang out from a few tables over. Several heads turned, including Hermione’s, and she watched as Malfoy staggered back from his seat, frantically picking up the silverware that had toppled onto the floor and hastily making for the exit. Her eyes followed his retreating figure as he strode quickly out of the dining hall, his facial expression like that of someone who had seen a ghost.

She turned back to her friends and Ron smirked, touting that Malfoy’s departure was certainly due to cowardice at the sound of his words. A pit formed in Hermione’s stomach and she silently hoped he had not heard overheard them; he was sitting several heads away, but Ron was not being particularly quiet. Childhood enemy or not, she didn’t want to upset anyone.

The pit in her stomach continued to grow when she met back up with him after lunch. His previous small attempts at simple conversation had left them in a shifting silence on the chairs. He his eyes looked guarded when she caught them, and if it weren’t for the occasional tip or him checking in periodically with her as they descended the slopes, she wasn’t sure he would’ve spoken to her for the remainder of the day at all.

She couldn’t bring herself to apologize. He _had_ been an arse, whether she had wanted to him to hear her say it or not. He had always been an arse to her…even if today had been different. She wondered if Ron’s comments had carried any weight, and she hoped that this was all just overthinking. It was unlikely he had overheard them, but all of his actions had identified otherwise.

That night she laid in bed and listened to the sound of a small pod of students chattering outside beneath her window and she fell asleep pondering the kind of thoughts that rested behind a pair of silver eyes.


	3. Day 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think :) Chapter 4 is finished and being reviewed as I write chapter 5.
> 
> As before, I do not own any aspect of the harry potter franchise.

Anxiety pooled in Hermione’s stomach as she tugged a plum-colored turtleneck over her head. She hoped Malfoy’s demeanor would be better today, and resolved to meet with Luna before heading out for the day. She wasn't quite sure why his feelings being hurt afflicted her so much, but she reasoned that having him in a good mood was definitely better than a sour one. _Perhaps spending time with his friend will brighten his spirits…or at least help him get over them,_ she thought to herself.

She finally caught sight of him sitting outside the lodge on the same benches she’d found him on the day before. She approached him tentatively and he looked up as she neared, his eyes catching hers and filling with another unreadable expression.

“Theo and Luna will be riding with us today.” She announced, Luna stepping out from behind her with a smile. Something flickered in his eyes for a moment as they moved between the two of them and he nodded.

“Sounds like we’ll be having quite the day then. Where is he?”

“He should be along soon. I can sense his presence, so he must not be far.” Luna hummed and Malfoy raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Theo appeared a few moments later and clapped Malfoy on the back, a grin on his face.

"Oi mate, let's get after it!" he cheered. The group of them made their way to the snow and set off for the chariots, the girls trailing slightly behind.

“How have things been with Theo since yesterday?” Hermione asked, noticing the slight quirk of Luna’s lip.

“Quite excellent, really. We spent the evening together last night laying in the grass behind the Ravenclaw house, and he agrees that the sounds that were coming from the forest were Erkling cries. We both were curious about them, but we knew better than to go investigate.” She replied and Hermione had to keep the astonishment from permeating her features. She admittedly didn’t know Theo Nott very well, but the idea that a Pureblood Slytherin from a well-known family was stargazing and speculating about mythical creatures last night would’ve thrown anyone off.

“He’s very interesting, you know. Did you know he can walk on his hands? He’s offered to teach me.” Luna continued and Hermione’s eyes flicked from her friend to the boys walking ahead of them, her brows raising.

Just as she was about to reply, she realized they were approaching the first slope of the day. She eagerly slipped into a 2-person chair with Luna to avoid the stiff air that surrounded Malfoy. The two girls chatted as the chair zipped through the air, but Hermione began fidgeting with the zipper on her coat as they neared the top of the mountain. Luna either didn’t seem to notice her replies had been terse and her eyes tight, or didn’t care to comment. Either way, she was pleased to not have to talk about it.

Malfoy and Nott’s chariot had arrived before theirs and they were already waiting at the platform for them. She was careful not to make eye contact with him and regretted it as soon as she averted her gaze; the slope they’d started with was far steeper than any of the paths that she’d taken the day before. It was only her second day at this, and her thoughts filled with apprehension. She shoved her ski poles into the snow, shut her eyes and took a deep breath. _It’s not going to kill you,_ she thought to herself, though the attempt at rationalizing did little do help her fear. She could hear the cheer of people around her as they ventured down the hill, including the sound of Theo calling out to Luna from a distance in front of her.

“Remember, the mountain will adjust to you. The snow changes for everyone,” She hadn’t heard him sidle up next to her, and her eyes snapped to his guarded grays as he spoke. She gave him a hesitant smile.

“If you think you’re going too fast to handle, cast a charm. We _all_ know you’re bloody good with those.” He said with a smirk and she couldn’t help but huff out a breath. The pit that was forming in her stomach resided slightly.

“Thanks, Malfoy.”

“I’ll be behind you if anything happens. Summon some of that Gryffindor bravery you lot are always going on about.” He added and she rolled her eyes. Picking up her poles from the snow, she pushed off and enjoyed the feeling of the breeze on her face.

———

As if coming to an unspoken understanding, the pair felt little tension through the rest of the morning. For that, Hermione was grateful. They had found an amicable playing field on the snow and she wasn’t looking to make their shared experience even more difficult than it needed to be, so she was quick to take a lift chair with Luna alone when groups of four were already flying around. She'd been so focused on giving him space that she hadn’t realized how hungry she was until Theo yelped about the hour.

By the time they made it to the food hall, it was well past 1pm and most of the students had returned to their activities.

“We can all eat together! I was going to sit with you anyway Theo, since it would be much easier to share my mushrooms with you that way.” Luna said happily and Theo looked at her with a grin on his face as he followed her to a table.

“What makes you so sure you’ll have mushrooms with your lunch?” He asked and she shrugged. She sat at a bench and shut her eyes for a moment, her meal starting to materialize in front of her.

“Just in case, better to be nearby.” She replied, immediately beginning to comb through her food with a searching gaze. Hermione settled tentatively across from her and next to Malfoy, her eyes fixing on the placemat in front of her that was in the process of generating her lunch. As her sandwich appeared in front of her she looked up to find Theo with an arm around Luna's waist, whispering something in her ear. She nodded pleasantly to him and replied out loud about the lack of animagus spell usage in the healing community. Hermione cocked and eyebrow and found herself turning to her left, her eyes finding an equally questioning blond.

"As someone who has had firsthand experience with the effects of that charm, I cannot fathom how there could be any medical benefits to it." He murmured in her direction and she found herself chuckling.

“I second that. I was spitting hairballs up for days." She replied.

"Hairballs?"

"Bad polyjuice potion." he nodded in reply, amusement tickling his lips. She'd initially regretted mentioning it to someone with such a penchant for teasing her, but he seemed to skip on the opportunity.

"Neither of you were prepared to be transfigured. I have always found my time in other forms to be well spent." Luna said to them.

"I can't imagine any length of time as a bloody ferret being considered ‘well spent’ for anyone." Malfoy muttered and Hermione clapped her hand to her mouth to keep from giggling.

——

Luna and Theo continued chattering about obscurities amongst themselves for the duration of their lunch, and Hermione kept meeting Malfoy's incredulous looks when one of them overheard something particularly shocking. By the end of the meal they had murmured enough witty remarks between the two of them to to fill a small book. She'd shared small laughs with Malfoy, she suspected more in one sitting than she had previously in any of their interactions. She pondered this oddity as the four of them made their way to the next set of slopes, and she didn't even notice Luna slip onto a 2-seater with Theo until she watched his arm wrap around her as the chair took off.

"Earth to Granger." She heard Malfoy calling her off to the side, waving his hand in the air to attract her gaze. She shuddered and followed him to the seat, the foggy disposition between the two long dissipated.

"That was...something." He said, clearly itching to speak freely about what they'd both experienced as much as she was. She nodded eagerly.

"Not two people I would have expected to get along so well. I haven’t seen Luna look this lucid in ages.”

“I’m not too surprised, Nott has the propensity to get really weird if he’s left alone for too long.”

“Luna is not weird! She just has her own hobbies, and not everyone has to be interested in the same thing anyway.” She quipped, tilting her chin up.

“Is that what you tell yourself about your little books when I call you a swot?” He was smirking now.

“Bugger off, Malfoy. You act like you aren’t also at the top of our class.”

“Oh I know I am, but I’m not nearly as obnoxious about it. I’m sure you were cheery as fuck to find out we all had to come back for our 8th year. And let me guess, you’re about to say, ‘ _oh, but Malfoy, it’s just so important for everyone to take their NEWTs!_ ’, as if any ministry department wouldn’t drop their metaphorical trousers for you already.”

“What is wrong with you! Why must you prod at me every chance you get? Do you have any other thoughts besides rude ones? What do you even gain from that? From what you just said to me.” She snapped, her face full of rage. He let out a laugh and her brows rose further up her head.

“There it is! Your anger is incredible. I just love the way your eyes sparkle when you’re mad at me.” he sang and her head likely would’ve exploded had she not looked ahead at the chair in front of theirs in time to see Theo grab Luna’s cheek and kiss her reverently.

“Oh my god, oh my god, look!” She shrieked, pointing her mittened hand in their direction. Malfoy turned his eyes ahead and raised a brow.

“Well I’ll be damned.”

“Yeah, you will be.” She quipped, not forgetting the conversation they were just having.

“What, are you so bitter to see Luna get more action than you’ve seen in a year?”

“Fuck you, Malfoy”.

——

The sight of Luna wrapped tightly around Theo's torso was the first thing Hermione's gaze landed on when she exited the lift. It was certainly surprising, but not unwelcome. Luna seemed substantially more active with her surroundings since coupling up with Theo. Luna's constant state of wistfulness had left her lacking memory of real events, and it worried Hermione. She hoped her friend would be more present going forward.

"You lot sure look cozy." Malfoy teased as he slid up to the couple and slung his arm around Luna's neck. "Care to let me join in the fun? Theo is _quite_ handsy you know."

"Oh, sod off, will ya!" Theo chirped back, waving the boy off. Malfoy released her with a laugh.

"Right, well stop fucking her with your eyes and let's get to it then!" He pushed out with his poles, spinning around and turning to Hermione.

“Granger, this is a long one. I suspect we’ll be on it for a good bit, are you good to go? Do you need anything?” He looked at her expectantly and she had to keep her jaw from falling onto the floor. The way he could flip between antagonizing everyone around him and feigning a care for her abilities was making her brain spin like a top. She blinked a few times and nodded in assent.

"Excellent, go on." He gestured to the incline and she pushed off from the platform.

The slope itself was not more difficult than the ones they'd traversed in the morning, but it was substantially longer. Hermione found she didn't mind as much; snow was slowly cascading from the sky and the ground flattened out instinctually as she looked out along the trees and enjoyed the way the flakes were dusting their leaves. The afternoon sun was shining through the tree line but it wasn't harsh, and the icicles that had formed the night before on the branches around her sparkled with color. She gazed down on the view of the town beneath her and she realized she was now one of the little black dots she had seen drifting down the slopes when she first arrived. A grin crossed her face as she relished in her newfound confidence on her skis.

As if on queue, a blond head appeared in her periphery and she turned to see Malfoy waving an arm over a few meters to her left.

"Everything alright? You slowed down." He asked and she nodded.

"Oh sorry, I was enjoying the view of the town. I didn't mean to hold you up."

"No worries, take your time." He replied softly. She felt herself waiting on baited breath for a sneer or sarcastic comment, but none came. He was still beside her, his eyes looking out onto the wooden structures in the distance, his face impassive but his eyes indicated he was deep in thought. He didn't seem to be minding her much and she couldn't help but wonder what was going through his brain. She spoke before she could think any better of it.

"You seem plagued."

"Just thinking about how we only have a few more days here."

" _Only_ a few? My legs are sore enough from the last two days to call it quits now and hop on the train this instant."

He huffed out a breath, a mirthless smile on his lips.

"Yeah." He mumbled and he seemed to snap out of his daze, nodding towards the snow ahead of them where Theo and Luna could be seen some ways away.

"Ready to keep going? There's some jumps at the base of this mountain I'm sure Theo is itching to check out." He said and she nodded, using her poles to regain her speed. He lingered at her side for a moment before dropping back behind her again and she decided to file the look he held on his face away for later analysis.

——

Theo was, as predicted, very excited about the vast terrain park that lay towards the bottom of the slope. As soon as he spied it he'd sped ahead, Luna trailing behind him, and by the time Hermione got there he had already charmed his board and was starting his descent towards the first incline. He started with a smaller incline but the impact of the charms he had cast was not lost on anyone; the moment he disconnected with the snow, a magnificent stream of dark green magic trailed out from the tips of his board, creating a sparkling arc of magic that lingered in his wake like a contrail and disintegrated with a blow of the wind. He landed the jump effortlessly and gestured to Luna, who took on the same jump moments later. Her body scattered his green trail and replaced it with the bright yellow effects of her charm, a spiral appearing as she twirled her body around once in the air. She landed next to him and he kissed her forehead.

"Don't feel like you have to do these, landing jumps can be tricky." She heard Malfoy say from behind her and she nodded, tapping her skis together to disperse some of the snow that sat atop them.

"Yeah, I think I'll just hang out up here and watch."

"Right. Let me know if you need anything." He said as he charmed his skis and she nodded. She watched him roll out his neck and push off from the platform roughly, his skis picking up speed as he neared the incline. He launched off of it, a trail of inky black magic following in his wake, and he flipped, his body curling in as he rotated in the air. He landed the roll with ease and didn't pause by his friends before he started on the next incline, flipping again in a blur of shining black clouds. He landed effortlessly and curled to a stop, a grin plastered on his face.

"Your move, Nott." He yelled and Theo booed, taking off after him. Hermione scooted cautiously around the incline to where Luna still stood, her eyes alight as she watched Theo slide across a metal pipe. A few others skiers slid over the jumps in front of them but the girls paid them little mind as they watched their respective partners.

The terrain park was quite different than muggle parks she’d seen in books; the space was stout and wide so that witches and wizards could apparate to the top to start over rather than taking a chair, and there were several platforms that floated above the snow for an additional challenge. She could see the two boys down a ways from where she stood as they gestured towards a steep ramp that stopped in front of a snowy platform. Theo pointed an arc with his finger and Malfoy nodded before giving his friend some space. Theo pushed off and swooped down the hill, picking up speed and flying up the ramp. His body flew up into the sky and Hermione truly thought he was going to land on the platform. She couldn’t help it when she shrieked as his board skidded across the floating edge and he flipped, his back hitting the surface. She made a move towards them and she felt Luna’s hand on her arm.

“Don’t worry, Hermione. Theo is quite alright. I watched him fall on this exact ramp several times yesterday. Besides, even if something were wrong, Draco could easily fix it.” She said as if Theo had simply just tripped over a small rock.

“He can fix him? How?”

“Draco is studying to become a healer, did he not tell you? He knows lots of healing spells.”

“No, he did not…he doesn’t necessarily share things with me. We aren’t friends.”

“Maybe you should be. Friends, I mean.”

She looked at Luna, who looked out at the slopes with such a pleasant gleam in her eye that one would think she hadn’t just suggested that Hermione befriend Draco Malfoy.

“He is a lot more like you than you realize.” She said after a moment. “I think I will go try out some of the hills myself.” She added before Hermione could reply, sliding her foot back onto her board and slipping through the snow.

Hermione watched the three of them as they carved through the air for some time, their magical trails blending with the colors of other skiers as they went. She found herself looking for fuzzy black clouds and she watched the tall blond as he launched up onto a floating platform. He slid across the surface and hopped back down, reaching down for his ski as he spun through the air. He landed like it was child’s play and looked back in her direction, smirking when he realized she’d been watching him. She had to admit he had talent, but with years of maneuvering around the sky on a broomstick, it made sense that he’d be able to do the same with a few metal skis and a ramp.

“Very cool.” She called out when she noticed his eyes were seeking approval. He slid across a metal railing on his way over to her.

“You should give it a shot, Granger!” Theo said as he came up behind Draco.

“After the show the two of you put on? There’s no way I’m going out there after that.”

“You’ve improved quite a bit even just over the day, I bet you could handle a small one!” Luna added. Hermione bit her bottom lip with a tinge of apprehension. She turned to look at Draco instinctively and he nodded once.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to, but I think you can handle it.” She pursed her lips for a moment and came to a decision.

“Okay, I’ll try a small one.” she said quietly and Luna smiled.

“Great! Awesome, Okay! I’ll charm your skates for you.” Theo said, punching the air. He unhooked from his board and came towards her, whipping out his wand to cast a couple wordless charms towardsher feet.

“Okay Granger, just head on over to that slope right there. It’s pretty shallow so you’ll be alright with it. Keep your weight centered and skis straight. You should stay upright at all times…unless you don’t want to!” He told her and she nodded hesitantly as she shuffled towards the slope. She looked back at the group to see Draco approaching her.

“Anything about this in those books of yours?” He quipped and she rolled her eyes.

“You can handle this. Cast a charm if you feel like you have to. I’ll be at the bottom to peel you from the ground if you crash.” He said with a wink, then slipped over the incline to the other side.

She took a few deep breaths and analyzed the slope, taking a moment to consider the angles of the incline and the distance between the edge of the hill and the ground. She steeled herself with some muggle physics calculations and pushed off with her poles, summoning all of the Gryffindor courage she could muster as she picked up speed. She gave herself another push for momentum and suddenly she was airborne, her skis glowing a luminescent purple and the wind sweeping the hair that peeked out from under her winter cap. It felt like flying but less untamed; she felt like she could still sense the magic emanating from the earth below her, from the witches and wizards who were still grounded. She sensed her magic reaching out to the magic around her, tethering her body while velocity rocketed her through the sky. As she felt herself descend she focused on the magical connection between herself and her surroundings and centered her weight best she could. She landed haphazardly but managed to stay standing, her feet skirting to a stop as soon as she was able to regain control of her skis. She could hear Luna and Theo cheering from behind her but her eyes looked to Draco, whose eyebrows were raised and looked otherwise impressed.

“Not bad, Granger.” He said as their friends hopped over the jump and landed close by.

“You looked great!” Theo chirped and Luna nodded.

“Thanks,” she started. “that was exhilarating, but I don’t think I’ll be trying that again. At least not today. I nearly had a heart attack up there.” she continued and he laughed.

“Noted. Well, Malfoy, unless you want to continue to be shown up on the jumps by a Gryffindor, I say we head onto the next slope. I know I’m ready to coast a bit.”

——

They took to a new slope. Nott and Luna were quick to take their own chair and Hermione wasn’t surprised; they’d spent quite a while at the terrain park as a group, and she could sense they wanted some time alone. She wasn’t too bothered; she was still riding the adrenaline high of the last few minutes of their time at the park.

She slipped into a chair with Draco and he must have been able to tell she was still buzzing from her ride.

“You seem pleased with yourself.” He said and she grinned.

“I’m rather thrilled, actually. I can’t believe I did that! And I landed it on the first try. It was such a strange feeling, as if I could feel the magic of the earth guiding me to where to land. Did you feel that too? Does that happen to you?” She rushed out and he nodded.

“Yeah, that’s a part of the charm Theo put on your skis. It lets you feel the magic that flows through the mountain when you ski down a normal hill, the enchantments that make the slope change for you.”

“It’s rather fantastic. I’ll have to read mor-“ she stopped herself and he chuckled.

“You can say it, Granger. I have a book you could probably read cover to cover in 5 minutes that reviews the subject.”

“You…you do?”

“Yeah, it’s bloody ridiculous magic, very elaborate. The charm for the skis is merely the end piece, the stuff on the slope is intricate as fuck. It's naturally-created magic which is why it's so powerful.”

“Is that how you learned to ski so well? From the books about the magic?” she asked and his body stiffened.

“No, not exactly…I learned about the magic itself later.” He started. “Winter sports are a fairly popular Pureblood activity, it would’ve been out of the ordinary for me to not have learned it at some point. The Malfoy family has a house out East in Faraya that I used to go to a lot when I was younger with Blaise and Theo.” He continued.

“So your…parents taught you, then?” She asked hesitantly and he shook his head, his lips thinning.

“No, my mother was too proper for athletics, and my father was far too busy kissing the Dark Lord’s ass to pay much attention to me until I was old enough to do the same. It was Snape who taught me actually, when I was very little.”

“Snape? As in..” he let out a humorless chuckle.

“Yes, that one. He was like an Uncle to me. We were close.”she watched his eyes harden and she felt a pit form in her stomach.

“I’m sorry, Malfoy.” she said quietly and placed a hand on his arm without thinking about it. His eyes snapped to where her mitten touched his jacket and he looked up at her.

“He took a lot from us. All of us.” She pressed on and he nodded, his throat bobbing. They sat like that for a moment, the only sound between them that of the air blowing past them as the chair soared through the sky.

“Why does Theo snowboard, if skiing is a Pureblood activity?” She asked after some time had passed and he smirked, the mischievous light in his eyes returning.

“I told you, Theo can be bloody weird.” She laughed and sat back in the seat, retracting her hand from his arm.

“I noticed Potter seems to have touched skis before in his lifetime.” he said and she had to keep the giggle from escaping her lips as he made his inability to compliment Harry _so_ obvious.

“Yes, Harry knows how to ski. He learned muggle skiing only because the Dursleys had wanted to take a ski trip and refused to leave him alone in the house for three days. When they arrived at the ski lodge, the instructor had spotted Harry and invited him into his class before the Dursleys could tuck him away.” She replied and he snorted.

“That’s one hell of a way to treat someone who nearly blew the Dark Lord to smithereens when he was only a year old.”

“Muggles don’t conceptually understand magic. The Dursleys had no frame of reference for anything Harry was able to do. They saw magic as something wrong with him.” He pursed his lips and said nothing in reply. She watched him retreat into his mind with the information.

——

The rest of the day passed peacefully. With the confidence of the her bout at the terrain park flowing in her veins, Hermione found herself taking challenging turns as she carved down the mountainside. They took several rides down before the day was out and they made their way back to the cabins. She broke away from the group as they entered the courtyard; Luna was essentially attached to Theo’s hip and quickly followed after him towards the Slytherin Cabin. Malfoy paused before he turned to follow them, giving her a curious look then a muttered, quiet goodbye. Her eyes followed his for as he retreated away from her.

She didn’t realize how tired her body was until she had made it up the Gryffindor cabin stairs and practically melted into her bed, barely giving herself time to slide off her boots before slipping under the covers. She heard a laugh from the other corner of the room and lifted her head only to see Katie was sitting on the bed opposite her, flipping through a copy of the Daily Prophet. Hermione waved her off, promising to be a more riveting roommate after a short nap.

Thirty minutes later, a revived Hermione sprang up in bed and dashed down the steps to grab a bite before the dinner spells wore off the dining room tables. She scurried back up the stairs with her plate, eager to hear about how Katie was getting along with her partner. A Ravenclaw who Katie described as “the exact right amount of bitch for it to be hot”, Sasha was daring, strong-willed, and terrible at snowboarding. Hermione howled in laughter as Katie described the many attempts on the bunny hill they’d made before before she was able to complete it without falling onto her bum.

“If she hadn’t had such ambition about it, I certainly would’ve been more bothered. I mean, she fell _so_ many times! And just righted herself and tried it again.” She said and Hermione giggled.

“Have you suggested she try skiing maybe? I hear snowboarding can be rather tough to pick up easily.”

“I would but then I won’t be able to help her at all. At least if she’s on a board I can give her pointers, even if she doesn’t listen to them.”

“I’m sure she’ll be better tomorrow. By the end of the trip you two will be taking on the black slopes!” Katie rolled her eyes, a smile still on her face.

“As if! We haven’t even made it to the blue ones.” She replied and Hermione feigned shock.

“Oh _how_ do you survive?”

“Solely on her nearly jumping my bones every time we get on the lifts. That’s how.” Katie winked.

“What about you and...Malfoy” Katie sneered. “How’s the trigger-happy little git been treating you?” 

“If you’re asking if he’s still being a right arse, the answer is yes.” she said and Katie chuckled as Hermione continued.

“It could be worse, honestly. Luna is paired up with Theo Nott and we spent some time with them earlier today, so that kept him at bay for a bit.” She hesitated. “He’s rather good at skiing and he’s been very patient with me.” She continued quietly and Katie cocked an eyebrow.

“What are you saying?”

“I mean, he was quite helpful...he showed me how to ski properly, and he checked in with me before starting a new slope, and he didn’t make fun of me when I was sc-hesitant...well, he didn’t make fun of me _that much._ ”

“Sounds like the bloke’s feeling guilty.”

“Perhaps, but it seems different...it seems more sincere? Like he’s intentionally being soft with me.”

“Blimey, Hermione. You’d think it was you who was imperioused by him!” Katie chirped and Hermione’s cheeks turned pink.

“It’s just odd! That’s all.”

“Whatever you say. I know I won’t be asking him for a ski lesson any time soon. Do the boys know about your new little friend?”

“He’s NOT my friend, we’re not friends! He’s still an absolute prick. I haven’t seen Harry and Ron since lunchtime yesterday, actually.”

“Because you’ve been spending time with your friend?”

“He’s not-yes, partially because I was skiing with my partner. My _assigned_ partner.” Hermione snapped. Katie was grinning from ear to ear now.

“Alright, ‘Mione. If it helps you sleep at night.” Katie rolled over, leaving her to only her thoughts and her untouched food.

——

Hours later, Hermione laid awake in her small bed, her eyes drilled to the ceiling while her fingers drummed along the spine of the book she still held against her chest. She’d tried to read through the next chapter of her exotic creatures texts at least twenty times before giving up and staring idly out in front of her. Sleep would not meet her, and she knew it was because her mind was occupied with thoughts of Draco Malfoy. She hated it; she felt her brain tie itself into knots while she tried to work through all of the things he’d done and said to her over the last couple days. He had antagonized her so much that she’d contemplated pushing him off the ski lift, and recalling some of the vile things he’d said to her made her blood boil all over again. He’d made fun of every aspect about her except for muggle-born status, and she couldn’t help but wonder if that was only a matter of time. But of course, her blood cooled quickly as her brain started to unpack some of the more unusual things he’d said to her that she’d filed away for later evaluation. _“I just love the way your eyes sparkle when you’re mad at me.” “II don’t bite…at least, not in here.”_ …what had all of that been about? If it was ill-willed, it was a fresh breed of taunting that she wasn’t accustomed to from Malfoy. There was little he’d said over the last few years that had managed to dig deeper than surface level injury, but if he’d been spiking things like that with malice…that was a new level of emotional warfare. She couldn’t help but feel as though it was something else; his actions hadn’t aligned with that kind of thought process. He’d put way more care towards Hermione than explicitly necessary to improve her skiing performance, and it puzzled her immensely.

She couldn’t escape him to the depths of sleep; for the second night in a row, she dreamt of men with snowy white hair and silver eyes.


End file.
